"David Drake - RCN 01 - With the Lightnings" - читать интересную книгу автора (Drake David)

тАЬThereтАЩs already trouble with the new Elector, isnтАЩt there?тАЭ the Fourth Member said. тАЬTime we took the place
over ourselves and cut the subsidy budget, I say.тАЭ
тАЬThe reasons we decided Kostroma was more valuable as a friend than as a possession,тАЭ Anston said, тАЬappear
to me to remain valid. But we canтАЩt permit the Alliance to capture Kostroma, and the Kostromans are unlikely to halt a
really serious Alliance invasion. Their fleet is laid up and their satellite defense system hasnтАЩt been upgraded in a
generation.тАЭ
тАЬWalter Hajas isnтАЩt going to like us interfering,тАЭ Guiliani said in a gloomy tone. Her family had invested heavily in
the Kostroma trade, so the probable disruption had personal as well as national importance to her. тАЬLet alone us
basing a fleet on Kostroma. A few ships refitting at a time, sure, but the harborтАЩs already near capacity with the
merchant trade. If we reduce that, a lot of people lose money and the new Elector gets unpopular fast.тАЭ
She shook her head in dismay. тАЬAs do we.тАЭ
тАЬWe donтАЩt have a battle fleet to send!тАЭ the Second Member said. He looked up at Anston in sudden concern.
тАЬDo we, Josh? I understood we were too stretched for proper patrolling against privateers.тАЭ
Three ships in which the Second Member was a partner had been taken by Alliance raiders in the past year. That
was partly bad luck and partly a result of the member spreading his investments over nearly a hundred vessels . . . but
it was also true that closer patrolling of systems known to outfit privateers might have helped.
As little as the political members liked what they were hearing, none of them had questioned the serious-ness of
the threat. Mistress Sand wouldnтАЩt have come before the full board this way if sheтАЩd thought the matter could be
handled through normal -channels.
тАЬI donтАЩt foresee the need of a fleet if we act promptly,тАЭ Mistress Sand said. тАЬOr for a permanent presence. We
can fulfill our requirements with an improvement to KostromaтАЩs satellite defense system and perhaps some experts to
maintain and control it. The personnel wouldnтАЩt have to wear Cinnabar uniforms.тАЭ
She rotated the snuffbox between her thumb and forefinger. It was cone-shaped and the carvings on its surface
had been worn to tawny shadows.
тАЬWe were planning to upgrade the defenses of Pelleas Base,тАЭ Anston said to his fellow members. тАЬThe new
constellation is already being loaded on transports. While IтАЩm not comfortable in my mind about Pelleas, the Kostroma
situation appears to be more immediately critical.тАЭ
The political members nodded. Guiliani muttered, тАЬYou could buy a battleship for what one of those damned
satellite constellations cost, but I suppose weтАЩll find the money somewhere. IтАЩll have a word with my cousin.тАЭ
тАЬWeтАЩll need an escort,тАЭ said the Fourth Member. тАЬAll itтАЩd take is for illiterate pirates from Rouilly to grab that
load!тАЭ
тАЬI think we can scare up a few destroyers for a cargo of such importance,тАЭ Anston said without cracking a smile.
тАЬAnd it -occurred to me that guardships get too little out-of-system time to be at peak performance if they should be
needed. The Rene Descartes isnтАЩt as fast as a newer battleship, but she can keep up with a -transport.тАЭ
тАЬWalter Hajas can be made to understand that the squadronтАЩs presence is temporary,тАЭ Ms. Sand said. тАЬMerely a
training exercise.тАЭ
тАЬA guardship?тАЭ the Third Member said. тАЬWhat are we leaving unguarded, then?тАЭ
тАЬAdmiral KoffeтАЩs heavy cruiser squadron arrived at Harbor Three yesterday for refit,тАЭ Anston said, skirting the
nub of the question. тАЬThat can wait while . . . -Admiral Ingreit, I think IтАЩd recommend . . . returns from Kostroma with
the Rene Descartes.тАЭ
тАЬChrist,тАЭ the Third Member muttered. тАЬWell, if youтАЩre sure, Anston.тАЭ
тАЬNone of us can be sure of anything except our ulti-mate -demise, Harry,тАЭ Mistress Sand said, smiling as she
returned the snuffbox to a pocket in the front of her silk jumper. тАЬBut I think we can reasonably expect a good
resultтАФтАЭ
Her words lost the overtone of good humor, though a stranger wouldnтАЩt have thought the stocky woman
sounded worried as she concluded, тАЬтАФso long as the squadron arrives at Kostroma in time. IтАЩm afraid there may be
very little time.тАЭ

There was a fountain in the plaza fronting the ElectorтАЩs palace: a fish-tailed Triton sat on a shell and blew water
vertically from a conch. The stream splashed onto the shell and finally drained into the passing canal.